Sinnonhyeon gomtang restaurant: regular vs special bowl, Geumnyeong

If you're looking for a solo dining spot in Gangnam and want a proper bowl of gukbap (soup with rice), this place is worth checking out. I found Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch near Sinnonhyeon Station. The clear yet deep gomtang (beef bone soup) broth came with soft meat, and it was perfect for a warm bowl on a chilly day like today. I'd especially recommend it to anyone hunting for a solo dining spot in Gangnam.

Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch: location, hours and parking

Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch is on the 1st floor of 1 Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, near Sinnonhyeon Station. Hours are 10:30–22:00, with a break time from 15:00–17:00, and it's closed on Sundays.

• Location: 1 Bongeunsa-ro 4-gil, 1st floor, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• Hours: 10:30–22:00
• Break time: 15:00–17:00
• Closed: Sundays

🚗 Parking info — there's no parking on site, so public transit is recommended! I got a 3-hour pass through the Modu's Parking app for the Yeoksam-dong vacant lot parking and walked over. Parking near Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station is a nightmare, but this lot is genuinely big and decent! ₩3,000 an hour, which is actually on the cheaper side around here!

Finding the Geumnyeong Gomtang storefront near Sinnonhyeon Station

Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch is easy to get to since it's right near Sinnonhyeon Station. There are so many office workers around Gangnam that finding a comfortable place to eat alone at lunch can be surprisingly tough. Personally, when I'm hunting for a Gangnam restaurant, I prefer somewhere I can walk into alone without feeling awkward while still getting a filling meal — and since gomtang is the whole point here, there's no menu-agonizing, and it worked great for eating solo.

Inside Geumnyeong Gomtang: easy for solo diners, with a self-serve bar

Walking in, the atmosphere was warmer than I expected. Instead of the clean, cool vibe you see at a lot of restaurants these days, it felt more like stepping into someone's home — cozy. I even spotted a signature on the wall, so it looks like the Humint team has been here too!

There's open hall seating as well as tables with a bit of separation between them, so it ended up feeling more private than I expected.

It wasn't awkward eating alone, and the layout also worked fine for groups. Great for office lunches, but also a solid spot to come back to for a warm bowl of gomtang at dinner!

There's a self-serve bar too, so you can help yourself to as many side dishes as you like — a nice plus!

Geumnyeong Gomtang menu: what you get for 14,000 won vs 16,000 won

Geumnyeong Gomtang comes in a rice version and a noodle version — I went with the rice-and-soup version that day, ordering one regular and one special bowl.

• Geumnyeong Gomtang, regular: ₩14,000
• Geumnyeong Gomtang, special: ₩16,000

The regular and special seemed to mainly differ in portion size. If you're really hungry, the special seems worth it, but for a normal meal, the regular is plenty filling.

The side dishes, and why the soybean-paste perilla leaves win

Geumnyeong Gomtang also does a pretty solid job with side dishes. There's garlic pickles, dried radish, chili pickles, and cucumber peppers, plus kimchi and seokbakji (chunky radish kimchi) already set on the table. Overall, the side dishes had that homemade touch — a bit like home cooking — which paired really well with the gomtang.

But the one I remember most is the soybean paste perilla leaves. Seriously so good. I'd buy them separately if they sold them on their own!!

Clear gomtang broth piled with minari, plus the tendon and shank beef

• ⭐ Geumnyeong Gomtang special: ₩16,000
• ⭐ Geumnyeong Gomtang regular: ₩14,000

The first thing I noticed when the gomtang arrived was how much minari (water dropwort) was piled on top. Thanks to the minari, the broth had a distinctly healthy feel to it. That said, it wasn't overly herbal or sharp-tasting — the broth was very clear and clean.

What I liked most about this gomtang was the broth itself! Rather than a heavy, thick-style gomtang, it went down light, but the deep flavor came through the more you ate. Clean on the first sip, and increasingly savory the more you had.

Mixing a bit of rice into the broth made everything feel warmly satisfying — exactly the flavor you crave as the weather turns chilly. The soup had beef tendon as well as tender cuts like shank, so there was a good variety of meat textures.

The tender meat in particular wasn't chewy at all — nutty and springy, and it paired really well with the broth.

Recommend trying a bite of meat with a spoonful of rice topped with kimchi! It really was a filling, home-cooked-style meal.

A spoonful of gomtang followed by a bit of soybean paste perilla leaves and seokbakji — pure bliss!! I have a real soft spot for homemade-tasting side dishes like these, so Geumnyeong Gomtang? A repeat visit is guaranteed!!!

I finished both the special and the regular bowl completely, down to the last drop!!

Is Geumnyeong Gomtang Yeoksam Branch worth it? Final verdict

Geumnyeong Gomtang isn't the flashy type of restaurant — it's more of a warm, comfortable gomtang spot for a proper meal!

• Easy access near Sinnonhyeon Station
• Comfortable atmosphere for solo diners
• Also good for office lunches
• Clear yet deep-flavored gomtang broth
• Generous amounts of soft, nutty meat
• A good variety of side dishes, especially the soybean paste perilla leaves

If a warm bowl of gukbap starts sounding good as the weather gets chillier, I recommend Geumnyeong Gomtang! Good access, comfortable for solo dining — perfect for anyone near Gangnam Station or Sinnonhyeon Station looking for a hearty meal!!